Michael Foale

British-American astrophysicist and former NASA astronaut, Michael Foale has one of the most impressive careers in the space and technology industry. He is passionate about space travel and exploring the possibilities of getting more and more people into space. During his 26 exciting years in NASA’s astronaut corps, Michael built up some impressive figures, while experiencing some almost catastrophic incidences in space. Going into space on six trips, he did four space walks and accumulating 375 days spent in orbit, Michael was at one point a record holder for the most cumulative time spent in orbit by a US astronaut.

Michael is perhaps most recognised for his capable handling of a potentially disastrous incident in 1997, when he saved the Mir space station. The Russians accidentally sent an extra-terrestrial rubbish truck speeding into the space station and damaged the area which contained Michael’s sleeping quarters. Michael was prepared for the air to be sucked out entirely, but fortunately it didn’t; he did however notice a definite drop in air pressure, and rushed to isolate the area, preventing a potentially fatal catastrophe.

Despite now being a distinguished NASA official, Michael had to overcome several hurdles before becoming an astronaut, namely due to his British nationality. He has often criticised the British government’s lax attitude towards space exploration, which for a long time received no funding. Because of these difficulties, Michael made use of his mother’s American nationality. After receiving his astrophysics doctorate from the University of Cambridge, he went to NASA to pursue his chosen career path. Although he now holds an American passport, Michael has still fervently believed in the desire for the UK to improve its approach to space exploration, and has been pleased to see that in more recent years, we are beginning to see these improvements.